For Once
by Mrs.LongbottomMalfoy
Summary: Clove writes a journal of what happens in the Games. Clato. Could be a little AU depending on how you guys like it.
1. Chapter 1

It starts off simple right? Wrong.

Every story gets a happy ending, right? Well maybe this one will, if we play our cards right.

This isn't one of your 'Once upon a time' bullshit stories. If you want one of those stories, read something else. Just not this one.

But you like that beginning, right? Fine, I'll give it to you.

Once upon a time, in the life of Panem. There was a boy and a girl. Of course there was a boy and a girl. There's always a boy and a girl.

A brown haired, green eyed girl. She never misses.

A blond haired, blue eyed boy. He's brutal and bloody.

If you haven't figured out who are the stars in this story, I'm about to tell you. Just give it time.

But first, take a moment. Take a moment to think of your best friend. Write them a note or a letter, call them, talk to them in anyway right now. Because you don't know if you're going to be thrown into an arena with them. An arena where you fight to the death and only one, only _one_ comes out.

I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty scared. Scratch that. I am scared. Terrified. Because this is true. This is happening. I'm going into the Games with my best friend. My better half. My rock. Whatever you want to call him. I just call him Cato.

Like I said. This is a story of a boy and a girl. The girl that never misses and the brutal bloody boy. But those are just labels and they don't matter.

Anyways you probably want to know how I met Cato, right? You probably have your own ideas. Training, just walking in 2 or even us not being friends and just meeting on the train ride.

All of those are false. I met him when I was born. Well basically it was that way. His father and mine worked together in the Nut. We lived in the same area that all the Nut workers' families lived. Actually we were next door neighbors. let me tell you, it was quite annoying living next to Cato. Even at six years old, he had a cocky attitude.

But that all changed the day my mom died. Her and I were walking to the store. I asked her if Cato could come. She said yes. Me and Cato were jokingly fighting with each other. But my mother didn't seem to think that. She was paying more attention to the two of us then the road ahead.

Let me tell you the less gruesome ending. My mother was hit by a car and she died. But me and Cato were right behind her. We saw the whole thing. I was only ten.

After the funeral, Cato vowed to always protect me. He also lost his cocky attitude towards me that day. Granted, he still has it. But when it's just me and him, he doesn't. I prefer that Cato over any other Cato.

But I think that vow will be broken soon. Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me walk you through this past day. This day of hell.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of my brothers bouncing on my bed to wake me up. They're lucky they're eight.

"Alright. Alright. Boys, go wake up dad." I tell the twins. Identical twins my ass. They're little devils.

The nod and leave my room. Finally. Silence.

"Clove! Are you done yet!" I hear Cato knocking on my door.

"I just woke up!" I scream.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the weapons closet." He muttered.

I grab the knife on my nightstand and throw it at the door.

"Sorry Clove!" Cato said.

I sigh and get dressed. "Cato!" I yell.

I hear him trip over one of my brothers' toys. "What?" He said as he hit the door.

"Are we going to walk around before reaping or can I get dressed in my reaping clothes?" I say as both outfit lay on my bed.

He starts to drum his fingers across the door. One of the few things that annoy me.

"Cato." I bark. "Come in."

He smiles as he opens the door. "We can do whatever you like, Clove."

I sigh. "You're not going to volunteer today, are you?"

He sits on my bed. "You really want to bring that up now, Clove?"

I nod. He puts his head in his hands. "Yes." He mutters.

I walk back to my closet. I felt arms circle around my waist. "Its going to be alright Clove. Do you know why?"

I turn around in his arms. I didn't even notice that he wasn't in his reaping clothes. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to win."

I sigh. "And how do you know that?"

He kissed the top of my head. "Because I have something worth fighting for."

I roll my eyes and duck under his arms. "So I take it we're going to walk around town for a little while?"

He shrugs. "We can if you want."

I smile. "Yeah. I'd like that. A lot."

He nods and starts to head out the door.

"Cato." I call.

He turns back around.

"Just stay." I say. He laughs and gets under my covers, like we did when we were kids and one of us had to change.

I laugh and throw on my jeans and a white tank top. "You can come out now." I say.

He removes the covers. He smiles.

"Have you seen my plaid shirt?"

He rolls his eyes at me and tosses it at me.

"You kept it from me?"

"Yes."

"Cato Stone, you will be the death of me."

He smirks and grabs my hand. We race down the hall, avoiding all the toys, and down the stairs. He beats me. As usual.

"Bye Dad!" I yell as I leave the house.

Cato looped his arm threw mine. We started to walk all over town. And, of course, there was drama.

All the girls drooling over Cato. All his exes wanting to murder me because me and Cato are 'dating'. All the guys drooling over me.

Okay, that just made Cato jealous. His jaw clenched, along with his fists. I laughed a little. Jealous Cato is kind of cute. Yes, I did just say my best friend is cute. No, I don't like him that way.

Plus, there were the whispers. The whispers of me and Cato.

"Are they dating?"

"When are they getting married?"

"He obviously likes her."

"She needs a man in her life."

The usual. But something curdled in my stomach when I heard this new one.

"He's volunteering today. Could she go in too? I mean, the Capital knows everything."

I turned around when I heard that. Cato looked down at me, then shook his head.

"Let's go home." He says. He saw how hurt I was. I swore I was going to start to cry. But I couldn't. I haven't cried since mom died. Six years tear free.

I was in a daze. Me and Cato in the Games? Fighting to the death? I couldn't hurt him. And he vowed to keep me save.

"Clove!" My father yelled. He was shaking me at the table.

I look up at him. "Hmm?"

"You haven't spoken since Cato brought you home, two hours ago."

I look around. Sure enough I was home, with a fork full of macaroni and cheese. "Sorry." I mutter.

I excuse myself from lunch and go up the stairs. I close the door and remove my knife from it. I place it back on my nightstand.

I quickly change into the floral dress that my mother once wore. Apparently I look just like her. I'm the same size and shape of her. But I don't care. This is the only dress I like. Scratch that. I love this dress.

Its a dark blue, with white flowers on it. It has a white belt just below my breasts. I threw on a pair of white flats. Then I brush my mane of hair. I curl it as best as I could. Luckily, Cato came in. He curled the back of my hair.

Once he was done, he looked at me.

"My little Clove is all grown up."

I punch him in the arm as we walk to the square. We ignored the whispers as he walks me to my spot.

"Bye, Cloves." He says.

I ignore the video I have seen way too many times. I ignore our Capital person as well. I ignored it all until I heard a name that sounded very familiar.

"Clove Matthews."

Who the hell is Clove Matthews. I start to look around and everyone is staring at me while I try to figure out who this Clove Matthews is.

I'm Clove Matthews. I'm going into the Hunger Games.

I go to the stage and stare out. I see my dad crying with my brothers by his side. I see Cato, pissed that no one volunteered.

"Please don't volunteer." I keep chanting in my head.

But its no use. Before Lacy or Lily or Lamby or whatever her name is pulls the boys name out of the bowl, Cato's hand went into the air.

"Damn you." I mutter.

"I volunteer!" He yells. "I'm Cato Stone and I volunteer as tribute."

* * *

And well, that's the first bit of the story. And I hate this. I hate that I'm writing this down in my journal. But when Cato wins, He can give it to my Dad. At least he gets to read everything after it happens.


	2. Chapter 2

The train ride was hell. Me and Cato were either glaring at each other or going into one of our rooms, fighting. I hate fighting with Cato. But that seems like it was all we've done for a few days. Fighting about him volunteering. Fighting about anything and everything. But it didn't matter. In the end we would make up and go for a walk.

But this time, it was different. This time we didn't apologize and go to bed. We just stared at each other with tears in our eyes.

"I had to, Clove!" Cato yells.

"I'm fine! I don't need protection." I spat.

"When were you going to tell me this? In a note when they brought back your body?"

I stared at him. "Thanks for having faith in me."

"I'm sorry. I just, its you. You're Clove. You're _my_ Clove."

I took a step back. "I'm your Clove? I'm your property?"

Cato walked closer to me, but I kept walking backwards. "I need to protect you, Clove."

"I am fine on my own! God damn it Cato! Can't you understand that?"

"Can't you understand that I love you. You're my best friend. I can't let you get hurt."

I rolled my eyes and left the room. I couldn't believe him. After all the promises of him not going in with me, he did it. And now I can't go home to my best friend. And I know that life isn't going to be the same after this.

I don't even know how long I was in my room. But Brutus came knocking on my door. We were almost at the Capital and he wanted Cato and I to see it together. I sighed and went out to the room. I didn't know what to what to do.

When I entered the room, Cato looked at me. Just that. He looked at me. He didn't say a single word. His breathing changed, but that's about it. I sighed and looked out the window.

There it was. It was beautiful. Breathtaking, even. Cato stood behind me, looking. He was hovering over me. Leaning over me. His breath was on my neck. I tried to leave, but he didn't let me. He pinned me against the wall. We used to do this all the time. But this was different. This time, I couldn't stand the sight of him.

"Let go of me." I said.

He ignored me. "It looks so beautiful, Clove."

"I don't care! Let me go."

He sighed and moved his arms. "Fine." He muttered.

I quickly went to the other window.

"Do you think that they're?" Brutus whispered.

"Well if they are, they need to stop." Enobaria said.

I look at Cato. He smiled at me. I turned to look at our trainers. "Excuse me?" I try to say, politely.

"Are you two together?" Enobaria asked.

Cato looked at me. I'm pretty sure he checked me out. I looked at him. Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Not at all."

"Then why are you two so pissed?" Brutus asked.

"Because she's my best friend!" Cato yelled.

"Was." I muttered.

Cato ran to my side. "What?"

"I was. We can't be close now. Its too dangerous, Cato. If you didn't volunteer, this wouldn't have happened."

He punched the wall. It left a freaking hole! He left the room. I heard him groan. I wanted to chase him. But I couldn't. It was too late. The old me would have done that. But the old me is back home, getting a piggyback rides from Cato.

I can't go back. The old me is gone. This is the Hunger Games me. And boy do I hate this me.

I took a few deep breathes and looked at the trainers. "Can I go now?"

They nod and I start to walk back to my room. I hear the pounding of fists on the wall. I sigh and knock on his door.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" He screamed.

"Just let me in."

"Why?"

"Because its just me, Cato. Its just Clove. And I want to talk to you."

I see the shadows of his feet going back and forth, pacing. Finally he opened the door. I walked right past him. I avoid the mess he made and flop on his bed.

"Too dangerous?" He spat when he shut the door.

"Look what you just did, Cato! If I die in there, you'd turn into a monster."

He sits next to me. "Don't worry about me, Clove."

I groan and put my head on his shoulder. "Why the hell not, Cato?"

He sighed and put his head on mine. "Because you're going home. You're winning this."

"Why the hell would I win? I can't go home without you." I quickly shut my eyes.

I heard Cato take a huge breath of air. He took his head off of mine. He left the bed and got on his knees in front of me. "Clove, you're going to win. You're going to be fine."

"FINE! YOU EXPECT ME TO BE FINE? YOU'RE MY BEST FREAKING FRIEND, CATO."

He wrapped his arms around me. I held him tight. "Don't ever let go, Clove." He whispered.

"I promise."

He chuckled. "Good."

I let go of him and stood up. "We're going to be leaving soon."

"I know."

I start to leave the room but Cato pulls me back. "I'm sorry." He mutters as he pulls me close.

"Cato." I laugh.

Then, Cato does something I never thought he would do. He kissed me.


	3. Chapter 3

Some part of brain broke. Cato was kissing me. And I was kissing him back. I don't know what was wrong with me. He was my best friend. My head was screaming "Don't do it Clove!" But then I wrapped my arms around his neck and boom. I was kissing him back. I don't know how long this kiss was. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? But soon enough we were told to leave the train. Thank God that Brutus knocked before entering.

Cato stayed pretty close to me from then on. We were laughing and joking and talking all night. We we went to our rooms. Rather, we were led to our rooms then fifteen minutes later Cato ended up back in my room.

There were more stolen kisses and whispers of 'what if's'. I can't tell you how many times he apologized for volunteering. But I brushed them off. Each damn time. I kept yelling at myself, stop getting so attached. But that's the problem. I was already attached. And I have been for years.

I fell asleep in Cato's arms this past night. Now I'm awake and trapped by his huge arms. I groan and try to wiggle out. But with each move I make, his grip becomes tighter on mine.

Luckily Brutus knocked very loudly on my door. Cato shot up and locked himself in my bathroom. "Its open." I say.

Brutus walks in. "Cato, come out of the bathroom."

Cato yells something that I can't understand. Before he comes out, though I ask. "How did you know?"

"I heard the giggling last night."

I roll my eyes and Cato comes out.

"I won't tell Enobaria. I promise. Just try not to do this too often."

Try not to do this too often? Try not to kiss Cato, often or fall asleep in his arms? This will be hell.


End file.
